Training injury a cruel blow for Conor

Sport can be cruel and that is something that Conor McGovern can testify to. The young Belnaleck goalkeeper was looking forward to representing St. Michael’s in the MacRory Cup in their crunch play-off game against St. Patrick’s Cavan when an innocuous challenge in training left him with a broken collarbone and ended his participation in this year’s competition for the Enniskillen school.
With it being his last year in the school, it means that it also ends his time playing MacRory Cup football and Conor admits that it was a tough one to take.
“You are training from September time and sacrificing so much so for it to be all to be gone in a tackle that’s normally routine is tough to take.
“I was just going down to the pick up the ball and the boy came down on my arm and I knew straight away that my shoulder had popped out as it happened to me a year and a half ago as well,” he said.
Indeed, that previous injury had ruled him out of the competition the year before as well.
“I didn’t play last year because of the shoulder and Dom had said to me then to get the gym work in and I should be fine for this year and that’s what I did.
“I had trained so hard and even during the summer I had gone to the gym to strengthen it up from the first time it happened. So to do the gym work with Eoin Bradley and to do the physio work so religiously, it was hard to take,” said a disappointed Conor.
Goalkeeper McGovern had played his part in taking St. Michael’s to the play off with a vital penalty save in their win over the Abbey CBS Newry and he says he was enjoying playing in the competition.
“Whenever you are in first year you dream about playing MacRory Cup football and I was loving it but it’s just one of those things,” he added.
However, Conor will continue to play a role as he will now work with goalkeeper Sean McNally as they get ready for a quarter-final showdown against St. Patrick’s Maghera this Saturday.
“It is tough watching from the sidelines but I was out roaring them on the last day and although I’m injured I’m still part of the team, I did all the work up to this stage,” he commented.
And he was full of praise for goalkeeper Sean McNally as St. Michael’s saw off the Cavan challenge.
“Sean did excellently, he had a good save in the first half and then a big save in the last couple of minutes. His kick outs were very good and he did really well especially given that he came into the team at such short notice,” he said.

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